MARION COUNTY — A new hearing date has been scheduled in the case to decide the outcome of the 2019 Centralia mayoral race within days of the 2021 mayoral race.

The case of Mayor-Elect Bryan Kuder was filed just weeks after the Centralia City Council vacated his election after the majority of Centralia voters elected him to the seat in the April 2019 race.

Then-city manager Dan Ramey brought information to the City Council claiming Kuder was ineligible to serve as he did not live within the city limits.

Despite Kuder providing proof of living in an apartment within the city limits, the city council chose to vacate Kuder’s election and later appointed Herb Williams to serve as mayor.

Kuder then filed suit in Marion County Court seeking a judgment declaring him the duly elected and qualified Mayor of Centralia.

Following a string of delays in the case due to continuances from the City, a hearing last week was continued due to one of Kuder’s attorneys still recovering from injuries suffered in a December car crash.

A ruling in Kuder’s favor at the upcoming March 19 hearing would place him in the Mayor’s seat less than two weeks before the April 6 election pitting him against the man who was appointed to the seat in 2019.

Both Kuder and Williams are running for election to the unexpired two years of the four-year term.